IND-W vs AUS-W 1st T20I Highlights: Beth Mooney Shines as Australia Beat India by 9 wickets to go up 1-0

So that’s the end of the 1st T20I between India women and Australia women in Navi Mumbai. Beth Mooney carried her bat, scoring a 57-ball 89 while Tahila McGrath returned unbeaten on 40 as Australia register a comprehensive 9-wicket win in Navi Mumbai. India’s batting in death was certainly entertaining but they couldn’t reflect that zeal in their bowling and fielding. The hosts gave away many freebies to the Aussies that ultimately piled up to hurt them in the end. India’s bowling wasn’t up to the mark. The spinner and the pacers were equally assaulted by the Aussie batters, especially Mooney who notched her 6th T20I fifty against India and 14th overall. She featured in a commendable opening stand of 73 runs with her captain Alyssa Healy and then played the key role in taking Australia through. For India, Devika Vaidya was the lone wicket-taker who got rid of the Australian captain. There are a lot of takeaways for India from this game. They need to get the missing spark back in their bowling before they return to the same venue on Sunday for the 2^nd T20I to level the 5-match series 1-1.

Meghna Singh to McGrath: 6, 4, 1, 4, 4. The Indian pacer is unable to find a solution to Tahila’s assault and Australia now need just 7 off 8 deliveries.

AUSW: 166/1 after 17 overs

18 runs from the 15th over as Beth Mooney smashes four boundaries off Devika Vaidya’s bowling. The Aussies are inching closer to a comfortable win as they need 37 in 30 balls.

AUS: 136/1 after 15 overs.

Team India has been utterly sloppy on the field today. They have given away several freebies to the Aussies and with Mooney’s resilience, the visitors are eyeing a victory.

AUS: 118/1 after 14 overs.

Beth Mooney gets her 14th T20I fifty off just 43 balls; her 6th against India.

AUSW: 109/1 after 13.3 overs

After losing their skipper, Australia seem to be under pressure. But Beth Mooney keeps the visitors going in the chase of 173.

AUS: 92/1 after 12 overs

Devika Vaidya provides the opening breakthrough, Alyssa Healy departs for 37 AUSW: 73/1 after 8.5 overs

Devika Vaidya provides the opening breakthrough, Alyssa Healy departs for 37 AUSW: 73/1 after 8.5 overs

Not the best of starts for Radha. She concedes a boundary and a six in her first over, leaking 11 overs in total.

AUSW: 68/0 after 8 overs.

Devika Vaidya to Healy- SIX! The Aussie skipper slog sweeps and clears the boundary easily to bring up fifty runs on board. A slow start certainly converted into a great one. The Australian openers are going strong and the Indians could feel the pressure now.

AUSW: 57/0 after 7 overs

Renuka Singh gets hammered by Beth Mooney in the 5th over. The Aussie opener smashed a hat-trick of boundaries, stealing a total of 13 runs from it.

AUSW: 39/0 after 5 Overs

Australia openers – Mooney and Healy – have given a decent start. Renuka Thakur has kept things tight but for debutant Anjali Sarvani, her second over was a bit expensive – 10 runs from it. Over all, the Indians haven’t leaked many runs so far.

AUSW: 26/0 after 4 Overs

1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 1: Deepti Sharma’s last-over heroics take India to 172/5 in 20 overs. The all-rounder ended up scoring an unbeaten 36 off just 15 balls, making the supporters at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai jump off their seats. His fireworks added up to a terrific start given by Shafali Varma and Richa Ghosh’s fiery cameo. Australia now need 173 to win.

Richa looks to heave Ashleigh Gardner through the off and hence danced down the track but unfortunately, she couldn’t connect. The Aussie skipper is quick behind the stumps and disturbs the stumps before Richa could return.

A terrific knock comes to an end!

INDW: 132/5 after 16.5 overs

Richa Ghosh is leaving no stone unturned to put India on top. After a 16-run over, the youngster gets another 12 runs off Jess Jonassen’s over.

INDW: 115/4 after 15 overs.

Young wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh is certainly leading India’s fightback after the hosts lost their big guns. She hammers a six and follows it up with back-to-back boundaries against Alana King, amassing 16 runs off the 14th over. 100-up for India women as well.

INDW: 103/4 after 14 overs.

Harmanpreet falls and the Indian supporters at the stadium are left speechless. The Indian skipper looks to go over cover but didn’t get the elevation. Kim Garth gets her first T20I for Australia as Annabel Sutherland takes a dolly.

INDW: 76/4 after 11.2 overs.

Perry strikes again and Jemimah Rodrigues perishes cheaply. She was getting desperate to go big and was lured by a short ball. Jemimah mistimes and departs for a six-ball duck.

INDW: 45/2 after 4.5 overs.